Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-09-25
JAPANESE LITERATURE.
A Fondness for Novels-The Inroads of
Western Civilization.

A Fondness for Novels-The Inroads o
Western Civilization.
A correspondent of the st. Louis Globe
, Democrat writes from Toxic, Japan, mos
} interestingly about the love of books amonl
the japanese. Among other things he says
In looking through an open-air book
stall the other day came across Japanes'
versions of "A Dead Secret" mis-:
Christable," "Les Miserables," "Lt
Maitre de Forge" Serge Famine,
Monte Cristo," and brave but unfor
tunate metrical version of Tennyson's and
Browning's poems. The japanese are
great novel readers. Bakin, one OF
the most prolific of writers
who reached the zenith of his
fame simultaneously with Balzac, is still
regarded rs the model novelist of all
times, although the ancient romsnces Of
graceful sentimentalists of the past still
find ardent admirers. Some of the stories
are AS attractive and pleasant as the best
inspirations of BoccacCio. They are so
quaint, such inimitable mosaics of prose
and verse, so sweet and tender, that in
reading them one almost catches the faint
fragrance of the cherry blossoms, on the
distant melOdious throb OF the lutte
touched by the dainty court ladies of five
centuries ago. 1t is pity that the novel
lists of the present care more for the suf-
frage of the public than the applause of the
artistic world.
The COURTS Europeanizeda and has no long
er the inspiration of poetic conceptions and
elegant wit. The writers of the present
cater TO the prevalent taste for sensational,
highly spiced romances, in which as many
of the principal actors rs possible commit
suicide, perform valorous deeds az bandits,
run off with the wrong women, or break
hearts by the Wholesale. Books of this
description fill the market, with illustra-
tions in keeping with the text. Political
novels, Just now the fashion, are of dis
tinctly higher class. "The Beauty of
Women" is one of the most remarkable
in this connection. The seventh volume
has Just been handed to the expectant
public and up to the end of the sixth the
wandering hero had contracted a violent
attachment for five beautiful" women in
eign and critical reader this tale calls to
mind the voyages of Sinbad, plus Sterne's
Sentimental Journey and n sprinkling
of Ouida in her most rampant mood. Yet
there is no doubt that the author intends
his story to have political Specification,
in the sense that Japan can flourish neither
intellectually nor physically under the
present administration. "The Plum Tree
in the Snow" is much better and more
instructive book. Itdepicts the condition
of Japan some centuries hence, and under
the guise of simple narration Of events,
is stingingly satirical. 'The Life of a
Great Statesman" founded on the life Of
the late Lord Beaconstield, is somewhat
drier, but far more beautiful and certainly
more ennObling in its tendency.
Not belonging to this category, and GER
tainly not a japanese complication, is
Smiles "Self-Help;" yet it is one of the
most popular works in this cOuntry-s
fact which reflects no little credit on the
reading public The first translation O.
this we'll known book was made some ter
years ago by Japanese scholar whose
limited knowledge of the English Language
caused his work TO be inaccurate. since
then other and better translations have
appeared, while the English original and
German versions have been introduced az
textbooks into several schools.
journalism is making rapid progress
although the largest daily in Japan ha'
not more than 10000 subscribers. In
Toxic there are five leading dailies, besides
over dozen of less importance. The (JD
Shimpo) Times is undoubtedly the best ed
tied newspaper in this country, and next
TO it comes the Toxic Daily NeiDS, a semi
official organ. Among recent successful
papers may be noted the Friend Of the PEG
pie, edited by a young politician who prom
ises to become one of the most powerful
advocates of the people in the Parliament
which is to be established in 1890. Among
the papers of the central aud southern Prov
inces the Osaka Morning Sun deserve
mention AZ having the largest circulation
of any Journal in Japan. In japanese
news newspaper imperial ordinances, new
laws and regulations come first; then thu
editorial lone only, then local and foreign
kilograms, domestic and foreign paragraphs
: correspondence, mail notices and time Ia
bes and finally one meagre page Of adver
tisements. Only one daily paper in tn
3 empire gives more than four pages of men
tai pabulum to its subscribers. Of illus
, trated papers there is quite a large mum
/ Der, but they are invariably commonplace
9 given to slaDgy expressions, sensational
sketches and more than questionable per
, sonal remarks.
r There is something pathetic in the in
E tense earnestness with which the Japanes'
7 are endeavoriDg TO make Occidental civi
D lization their own. No branch Of thought
9 however abstruse, but has found exponent
|. ane enthusiastic admirers among them; n
o art. whether music, painting or acting, bu
= this progressive people is striving to cult
o vate. Spencer, Mill, Adam Smith an
= Bacon: Shakespeare, Wordsworth and Mi
o ton; Bulwer LIZ ION and Alexander Duma
r are as familiar to the learned japanese q
!, they are to Americans or Englishmen. An
e this, too, not by means of having studio
II the original, but generally through Ii
d medium of TRANSACTIONS. The gree
e stumbling block in the way Of j,
y panese students is the laborious and con
:, plete system Of writing, upon the acquir'
y meut of which they have TO spend yea
h of study. To read even what appears in Il
e daily papers requires knowledge of mo-
than 1000 Chinese kilograms or cha
aeters.
d Reprints are cheap in Japan, though Il
o engraver-for nearly all reprints are lith
r graphed-often slips up on such puzzlir
3. letters as and q. Nearly all Of Il
a standard readers have been reprinted her
r, One can buy copy of Macaulsy's "Wa
,s rem Hastings" for less than 8 cents, al
N the essay on Bacon and Lord Give costs
h more. Yet these reprints command
b, very large sale; it is the TRANSACTIONS
lie standard European writers that meet wi
the approval of the public. A Jspanizl
d vesrion of the Merchant Of Venice" wi
lg fearful and wonderful illustrations-&
p lock in striped pantaloons, and Bassan
Is smoking a Scent cigar-may be bought
p about cents. 8ulwer's "Rienzi, !" Ia
8 of the Barons," and other such work
ne have been translated into the vernaculs